Electric water-heater.



S. TROOD. ELEC TRI C WATER HEATER. APPLICATION map MAR. 18. 1912.

Patented June 13, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL TROOD, OF NEW YORK,' N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8c MANUFACTURING-COMPANY, A CORPORATION PENNSYLVANIA.

srnc'rarc iVATER-HEATEB.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial No. 684,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL' T2001), a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric VVater-Heaters, of .which the following is a" I provide a thermostatically controlled device in which heat is produced by means of an electric current, passing through a conductor of high resistance, einbedd edin insulating material, whereby the heat so produced, first, affects a member, made of material adapted to be expanded by heat, so that a valve is opened to allow a free flow of the liquid into the device, and second, heats the liquid therein until drawn off througha suitablefaucet.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the temperature of the liquid may be predetermined and no liquid will flow from the device until this temperature is reached.

' An additional object is to provide means whereby the flow of liquid will be interrupted automatically as soon as the supply of electric current ceases.

In a general way the purposes of this invention are effected by placing in a suitable casing a structure, comprising an outer and an inner cylinder, preferably made of iron,

the interspa'ce of which is filled with insulating material, in which is embedded a high resistance conductor connected to a suitable supply of electric energy. A passage or duct is provided between the outer cylinder and the casing, from which liquid may be drawn off by a faucet. The center space or duct of the inner cylinder contains a valve body, made of material, having a high coefficient of linear expansion, such as zinc or an alloy of zinc and tin. The head of this valve body is seated in a recess, connected by a screw thread to a pipe supplying the liquid. This head of the body is furthermore provided ith a chamber, having a plurality of apertures leading eventually to channels or Patented June 13, 1916.

grooves in the cylindrical portion of the body. A screw, connected with theexpansible body, permits of adjusting the same axially, so that, at a predetermined degree of expansion only, the head will be unseated and liquid may flow from its supply through the grooves into the lower chamber, and then into the outer duct and will be heated to a predetermined degree within the device and drawn off at the faucet.

An indicator hand and an indicating scale permitv of correctly adjusting the desired displacement of the valve body, when expanded by heat, and so determine the flow as to draw ofi liquid of a predetermined degree of heat. The opening of a'suitable switch in the electric circuit, interrupts the flow of the current and, in cooling off, the valve body becomes seated again and interrupts. the flow of liquid.

It will be seen that the main element inreachrng a desired temperature of the liquid, is its timeof contact with the heating mern 'bers, controlled by its speed of flow.

The invention is illustrated, in a simple form, in the drawings, in which,

Figure '1 is an elevation and, in part, a vertical section of the device, ,Fig. 2, is a horizontal cross-section on the lineA-A of Fig. 1, Fig. 3, is a similar cross-section on the line B-B of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a detail of construction.

The device, as illustrated, comprises a casing 1, preferably made ofmetalgsuch as brass or nickle, having an upper chamber 2 and a lower chamber 3. The casing contains a heating body, comprising an outer metal cylinder 4, and an inner metal cylinder 5, theupper ends of which are joined by a connecting block 6, and the lower ends by a similar block 7, provided with suitable male and female screw threads for securing the cylinders thereon. The cylindricalspace between the cylinders f1 and 5 is' filled with insulating material 8, preferably cement, in

which is embedded a suflicient length of resistance conductor 9. p The reason for selecting cement for the insulating material, is that its coeflicient of expansion is substantially thesame as that of the resistance con ductor. Rupture of the resistance conductor? and the insulatingmaterial', when expanded by heat, is thusjavoided. The resistance conductor is connected to the leading-in wires and 11, which supply electric current from a suitable source.

The upper cap 12 of theouter casing 1, rests upon a rubber gasket 12 in order to provide an eflicient water-tight closure and,

at the same'time, not interfere with the neoesary expansion by heat, of any of the parts.

of the device. The connecting block 7 is also held to the outer casing 1, by means of a screw-thread connection 13 between the block and a lower cap 14; v

The upper block 6 is .provided with a cylmdrzcal recess or chamber 15 having a frusto-conical lower end to form a valve seat. Female screw threads 16 are provided for a and comprises a cylindrical rod 20, made of zinc or an alloy of zinc and tin and havmg an upper cylindrical enlargement or -valve body 21 provided with a chambeF 22.

The valve body 21 is provided with a frustoconical portion 2-1 to engage the corresponding valve seat of the chamber 15. A number of apertures 23 lead from the chamber 22 to the chamber 15. The cylindrical portion 25, which closely fits the bore of the inner cylinder 5, is provided with grooves 26 that extend throughout its entire length and communicate with the lower chamber 17, hereinbefore mentioned. A screw 27, is secured to or in loose engagement with the rod 25, having its thread in the lower block 7 and rotating in a suitable packing device 28, so as to prevent any leakage of liquid. A suitable handle 29 is provided for turning the screw, and an indicating finger or pointer 30 is provided 'to cooperate with a scale 31 in order to indicate the degree of adjustment of the rod 25. Between the casing 1 and the outer cylinder 4, is an intercylindrical space or duct 32 which communicates with the lower chamber 3, as well as the upper chamber 2, to which is also connected the faucet 33. An electrical switch 34 is located in one leg of the electrical conductor leading from the source of current to the heating conductor 9.

Wheh it is desired to draw liquid from the'heabing device, the indicating finger 30 is set at such position on the index scale 31 as indicates the degree to which the liquid be heated. This scale is so graduated with\ reference to the cooperating parts, that when'the indicating finger is set for a given temperature, the expansion of the rod will raise the valve body portion 24 -from'1ts seat the necessary degree to insure a flow of water of the proper amount to absorb the, de-

sired amount of heat. After adjustment of the screw 27, the switch 34 is closed and the electric current will flow-through the resistance conductor 9' and generate heat therein which will be transmitted through the insulating material 8, the outer and inner cylinders 4 On account oflower chamber 3 and through the cylindrical duct 32 into the upper chamber 2 from which it may be drawnthrough the faucet 33. Heat is of course imparted to the liquid when it is in the space 32 as well as when it is in the channels 26. The temperature of the liquid depends upon the dimensions of the space between-the valve body and the valve seat, caused by the expansion by heat of the rod 25, the speed of flow of liquid. being controlled by this space and the length of time, during which the liquid is in contact with the heating elements. YVhen the switch 34 is opened, the valve clos'e s automatically on account of contraction of the rod 25 caused by the reduction of the temperature to which it is subjected, andth fiowof liquid ceases.

It is understood that this device is not limited to the use of an electric heating device for heating the liquid and unseating the controlling valve, since an equivalent result may be secured by the combustion of any suitable fuel.

What the inventor regards as his invention or discovery and desires to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A heater for liquids comprising a liquid supplying means, a casing having a duct or passage normally closed toward the liquid supply, temperature-controlled means for opening the inlet to said duct or passage, and means for heating said temperaturecontrolled means and said liquid while the liquid passes through said duct.

2. A heater for liquids comprising a liquid supplying means, a casing having a duct or passage, thermostatic means for normally closing said duct toward the liquid supply and for opening the! same on an increase in temperature, and means for heating said closing means and said liquidwhile the liquid passes through said duct.

3. The combination with a casing, of means for supplying liquid thereto, a valve devlce for normally preventing the flow of liquid into said casing but permitting such flow upon a predetermined increase in temperature, meansff or applying heat to said 13 valve device and to said liquid while the liquid passes throu h said casing, and means for regulating the sow of liquid through the casing.

4. The combination with a casing, of means for supplying liquid thereto, a heater adapted to heat the liquid as it passes through said casing, a valve adapted to be operated by variations in temperature for controlling the liquid supply, and means for predetermining the extent of operation of said valve. 1

5. The combination with a casing, of means for supplyin liquid thereto, an electric' heater adapte to heat the liquid in said casing, means for controlling the supply of electric current to said heater, a normally closed valve in the path of flow of said liquid, a thermostatic valve-opening means energized by said heater, and means for predetermining the extent to which the valve shall be opened.

In Witness whereof the inventor has hereunto set his hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 13th day of March, 1912.

SAMUEL TROOD.

In presence of- RALPH F. Sacmzns, V. EUGENE BLAUVELT. 

